HoloSurge, a collaboration of European technology and healthcare leaders, has received a substantial €8.9 million Horizon Europe grant. Their goal is to enhance surgical planning and outcomes using HoloCare‘s 3D organ hologram technology. This innovative approach has already shown promise, with a significant reduction in the time required to align organs during liver surgeries compared to traditional MRI scans. The grant will facilitate the continued development and integration of this technology into surgical practices, particularly for liver and pancreatic cancer surgeries.
HoloCare, a Norwegian medtech company, has developed technology that provides liver surgeons with interactive 3D holograms of organs, enabling them to tailor operations to each patient’s unique anatomy. This innovative tool is currently being utilized in liver surgeries at five European hospitals, including Oslo University Hospital, where trials have shown a remarkable 74% reduction in the time needed to align organs compared to MRI scans. Supported by the Horizon Europe programme’s substantial £80 billion funding, this advancement represents a significant opportunity for European scientific leaders to translate research into practical applications for patient benefit, as demonstrated by the funding secured by the HoloSurge partnership.
The technology utilizes augmented reality headsets, such as the Microsoft HoloLens, which allow surgeons to view, manipulate, and study 3D holograms of organs with enhanced efficiency and precision. These headsets also facilitate remote collaboration, enabling multi-disciplinary teams to access and interact with the holograms simultaneously, thereby improving decision-making and planning accuracy.
In the future, these holograms will be superimposed onto patients during surgery as a navigational aid, further enhancing accuracy and reducing intraoperative complications. This technology holds immense promise for improving surgical outcomes, particularly in cases of liver and pancreatic cancer, where current treatment options are limited and often associated with significant risks.
Traditional imaging methods like ultrasound, MRI, and CT scans, while valuable, can sometimes overlook critical details due to their two-dimensional nature. For example, around 40% of lesions in the tail of the pancreas go unnoticed using ultrasound technology. HoloCare’s holographic technology addresses this limitation, providing surgeons with a more comprehensive and accurate view of the patient’s anatomy.
Over the next four years, the 14 partners of HoloSurge will collaborate to integrate this cutting-edge hologram technology into existing surgical workflows. This integration process will involve ensuring regulatory compliance, conducting clinical validation, and optimizing the technology for widespread adoption in liver and pancreatic cancer surgeries.
Dr Thomas Lango, Chief Scientist at St. Olavs Hospital and SINTEF in Trondheim, Norway: “The fusion of available data sources (CT, MR, ultrasound) into holograms made available for clinicians in minimally invasive procedures like laparoscopic surgery and flexible endoscopy will change the way clinicians work in the future. It will empower clinicians to navigate intricate anatomical landscapes with unprecedented precision and 3D understanding not readily available from traditional cross sectional 2D images. The HoloCare technology promises to not only improve image-guided medical procedures, but also collaboration and training of new experts.”
Prof David Jayne, Professor of Surgery at the University of Leeds and Hon. Consultant Surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: “The Holocare technology is an exciting advance in how we treat cancer patients with the potential to transform surgical care. The superior anatomical knowledge gained from the technology will enable more precise surgery with better cancer outcomes for patients”.
The HoloSurge consortium comprises 14 partners, including technical development pioneers like HoloCare, which provides the holographic toolkit for surgical planning, SINTEF, a research organization specializing in technology, and Oslo University Hospital, a key research and innovation partner. Clinical validation and expertise are provided by partners such as the Netherlands Cancer Institute, Ludwig Maximilian University Hospital, and Leeds University Teaching Hospitals.
Other partners include Metropolia University of Applied Sciences for testing experimental facilities, Orbit 21 for integration with hospital systems, CYENS Centre of Excellence for societal impact evaluation, Semmelweis University for Health Technology Assessment, and United European Gastroenterology and Digestive Cancers Europe for stakeholder engagement. These partnerships aim to support the integration of hologram technology into surgical workflows, ensuring regulatory compliance, clinical validation, and technical optimization for widespread adoption in liver and pancreatic cancer surgeries.
Jahn Otto, Innovation Director at HoloCare: “Innovation has long been the foundation for prosperity in Europe, from the breakthroughs improving healthcare to the technological advances growing our economy. In essence, Horizon Europe is not just about funding; it’s about forging connections, driving innovation, and shaping the future of healthcare. This not only opens doors for collaboration with the EU but also with Norway.
“The HoloSurge partnership stands as a testament to this. Through joint efforts with experts from the EU, UK and Norway, we’re aiming to use our hologram technology to transform the surgical outcomes of individuals worldwide. Our hope is that it can be adapted to benefit a wider range of surgeries in the future.”
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